Geoff Johns will be revealing the Joker's true identity in an upcoming issue of Justice League.

DC Comics is almost ready to launch its Rebirth event, a soft reboot which will resurrect many elements from the pre-New 52 universe. But it's also about to introduce new elements not all fans will enjoy - such as the Joker's secret identity.

Keeping the identity of Batman's archnemesis a secret has long been considered an essential part of his character. Even popular "origin stories" like The Killing Joke heavily imply Joker isn't quite sure where he came from, reinforcing the idea that he's a chaotic force of nature before an actual human being. That said, DC's chief creative officer Geoff Johns has slowly been laying the groundwork for Joker's identity in Justice League, which will culminate in a final reveal for Issue #50.

"The answer probably won't be an answer people predict," Johns told IGN.

Back in Justice League #42, Batman spent some time on the Moebius Chair that can access all knowledge in the universe. Of course, even he couldn't resist asking about Joker's true identity and was shocked at the result. You might even make a case that Scott Snyder's Batman series toyed in foreshadowing as well, when Batman managed to defeat Joker by threatening to reveal his real name. (Which Joker certainly didn't take well.)

So far, the New 52 has adopted an alternate version of Joker's history from The Killing Joke - he sparked an epic crime wave across Gotham under the moniker "Red Hood" before falling into acid that exacerbated pre-existing homicidal tendencies. Yet even then, fans never knew who Red Hood was, but Batman's reaction implies it will be a familiar figure. And since Rebirth is opening the floodgates on pre-New 52 canon, Joker could be anyone from decades of DC Universe history.

Justice League #50 arrives in May 25, concluding the long-running "Darkseid War" storyline. You won't be able to miss it, given the comic book fan rage Joker's reveal will spark across the Internet.

okay entertainment industry can I just say STOP REVEALING SHIT BEFORE THE STORY COMES OUT! I would love to be surprised what happened in a story but nope just tell us the twist before it even happens to get some publicity sales. just stop.

tf2godz:okay entertainment industry can I just say STOP REVEALING SHIT BEFORE THE STORY COMES OUT! I would love to be surprised what happened in a story but nope just tell us the twist before it even happens to get some publicity sales. just stop.

It's done in a sad attempt to counter today's uniquely connected fan-base. Fans just can't be surprised by anything anymore because lots of websites like Reddit give fans the ability to pool information, theories, and knowledge. I agree with you completely, and every week I see shit where companies spoil the most interesting thing in an attempt to stay ahead of their fans. Wouldn't the Spidey reveal for Captain America: Civil War have been so much cooler if we had just seen it in the movie instead of them promising his appearance? It's why the creators of Rick and Morty have said they don't even really bother to hide things from their fans anymore.

OT: The Joker's identity is irrelevant. Who he is or where he comes from doesn't matter - that's why the Killing Joke was a pretty great story about the Joker; it gave us a little something, but then turned it around and said 'Nah, just fucking with you. Or am I? Who knows? Who cares!' That's the point - if the Joker really DOES exist to be an opposing force to Batman, who has an established origin and reason for why he does things, then the Joker, by nature of being that opposite, does not need one.

It will probably be something really stupid like Bruce Waynes long lost brother/sister/cousin/nephew/dog or whatever. Or something even stupider. I know! They'll reveal the Joker to be biblical figure and traitor to the messiah, Judas Iscariot, who went completely mental somewhere during his ca. 2000 years of guilt-ridden immortality.

Citizen Graves:It will probably be something really stupid like Bruce Waynes long lost brother/sister/cousin/nephew/dog or whatever. Or something even stupider. I know! They'll reveal the Joker to be biblical figure and traitor to the messiah, Judas Iscariot, who went completely mental somewhere during his ca. 2000 years of guilt-ridden immortality.

They already used that origin when they revealed the true name of the Phantom Stranger.Which was even worse than this.

Considering they have like a million alternate earths in DC continuity, why do we give a damn again? Everyone that has ever played Batman or the Joker in all media can all be cannon in their respective little spheres.

Until we see Adam West vs. Heath Ledger in a crossover event, it is getting pretty boring each time they hype a stunning revelation. They will just reboot everything in another 50 issues anyways..

And next week in comic book reveals Superman dies, but ignore the marketing material talking about the new action 53, which has Superman in it, and Action 54 already in development which has Superman dying again, but that's an alternate non-canon spinoff of another alternate spinoff based off of a fanficion.

In all seriousness who's willing to bet that this is entirely going to be a retcon, like they'll circle a picture of the most uninteresting person in the background of a random comic, or just straight up not even pretend to write the character like he existed before.

until they decide to retcon it out due to inevitable backlash because this is a pretty stupid idea. This is why I can't read American comics except in a vacuum; they've just become glorified fanfiction for fanboys-turned-writers.

Old Gregg!PHA+PGRpdiBzdHlsZT0idGV4dC1hbGlnbjogY2VudGVyOyI+PGlmcmFtZSB3aWR0aD0iNDMyIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjI2OCIgc3JjPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL2VtYmVkL2dDeDBOZWZmUmZJP2F1dG9wbGF5PTAiIHNjcm9sbGluZz0ibm8iIGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyPSIwIiBzdHlsZT0iYm9yZGVyOiAwcHggbm9uZSB0cmFuc3BhcmVudDsiPjwvaWZyYW1lPjwvZGl2PjwvcD4=

Sampler:Isn't the red hood Robin, therefore this former red hood Joker is Robin? (I'll admit my DC knowledge isn't all that up to scratch)

Also, wasn't one of the Jokers an insane Batman, sent back from the future, forced to kill his own parents to create himself and thereby went insane and became the Joker..

The Red Hood you're referring to is the Robin that everyone voted (IRL) voted to kill back a few decades ago. However, he wasn't the first Red Hood. The exact story relating to the original varies, but it's generally accepted that some guy was the Red Hood for some reason (the parts that vary), then he fell in chemicals and became The Joker.

Why? What will this revelation bring to the character? Humanity? Actually, 'curing' Joker would be an interesting story. How would he react to the things he's done to people? What kind of a person would he be? How would Batman react to him?

But yeah, back to topic. How about making a good story first, THEN you can try to surprise your readers with a twist?

Jute88:Why? What will this revelation bring to the character? Humanity? Actually, 'curing' Joker would be an interesting story. How would he react to the things he's done to people? What kind of a person would he be? How would Batman react to him?

But yeah, back to topic. How about making a good story first, THEN you can try to surprise your readers with a twist?

I'm guessing Thomas Wayne Senior or his Uncle Philip Kane.because they toyed with the idea in Flashpoint of one of the Bruces family being the Joker and DC loves to reboot ideas Philip was a member of the Red Hood gang and died protecting Bruce.

But terrible idea all round, the idea of just one bad day creating the Joker from a nobody is the most terrifying aspect of the character, that he could be anyone.

Eh, to me it feels like it will trivialize the character since it's something we have never had to know. The character has been around for 76 years next month. More importantly, the Joker has always just been the Joker, the crowned prince of crime. To give him a "real name" is to kind of ruin the character. Some characters have uses for them, such as the heroes of the DC universe. But the character has never spent a single moment in the comics as anyone else. Has never traveled or sneaked around as anyone else so people didn't know who they were.

I also feel that no matter what they write, it won't be grand enough or a surprise to anyone. But, maybe it'll be awesome, we'll have to see what happens.